EU TROIKA TO VISIT SOUTH CAUCASUS 4-6 FEBRUARY
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04 February, 2008
European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood
Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, will participate in the Ministerial EU
Troika visit to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia on 4-6 February 2008.
Together with Dimitrij Rupel, Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Slovenia and EU Special Representative for the Southern Caucasus,
Ambassador Peter Semneby, the Commissioner will be holding meetings
at the highest level. On the agenda are the implementation of the
ENP Action Plans, regional and international issues. In Armenia and
Azerbaijan the Commissioner will also open full fledged European
Commission Delegations.
On the eve of her visit, Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: "Over
a year after we embarked into our joint Action Plans, the relations
between the EU and the countries of the Southern Caucasus are growing
ever closer. This is my third visit to the region, and I am looking
forward to discussing the implementation of our ENP Action plans,
energy security, regional issues including the frozen conflicts,
as well as international issues. "
She added: "This time I am particularly happy to open fully-fledged
EC Commission Delegations in Armenia and Azerbaijan. This opens a new
chapter in our relations with these countries. It is a confirmation
of the Commission’s commitment to cooperate closely with the South
Caucasus countries, supporting reforms with a view to bringing the
whole region closer to Europe".
The EU Troika visit will provide the opportunity to discuss a wide
range of topics with Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities,
such as the implementation of the three ENP Action Plans, the situation
of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratisation, frozen
conflicts, regional cooperation in the Southern Caucasus and energy.
The European Commission contributes to the peaceful settlement of
frozen conflicts. The EU is already active in preventing and resolving
conflicts. The Commission can make an important contribution by
working around the conflict issues, promoting similar reforms on
both sides of the boundary lines, to foster convergence between
political, economic and legal systems, enabling greater social
inclusion and contributing to confidence building and the financing
of rehabilitation programmes. The EU is also institutionally involved
in conflict settlement mechanisms. The Commission is also an observer
to the Joint Control Commission, a conflict settlement mechanism for
South Ossetia. However, only individual Member States participate
in the Minsk Group (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the UN Friends of Georgia
(Abkhazia) peace mechanisms.
The ENP Action Plans in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia were adopted
in late 2006. Implementation is supported by the European Community
bilateral ENPI assistance to the tune of EUR 92 million in Azerbaijan,
EUR 98, 4 million in Armenia and EUR 120 million in Georgia over
the period 2007-2010, plus assistance initiatives implemented in the
context of ENPI Regional and Inter-Regional and EC Thematic Programmes
such as the European Instrument for Democratisation and Human Rights
– EIDHR.
The main focus of cooperation with Azerbaijan is good governance,
socio-economic reforms and energy.
For Armenia the three focal areas of bilateral assistance are support
for strengthening of democratic structures, and good governance,
support for regulatory reform and administrative capacity building,
and support for poverty reduction efforts.
For Georgia the focus is support for democratic development, rule of
law and governance, economic development and implementation of the ENP
Action Plan, poverty reduction and social reforms, conflict resolution.
>From 1991-2004, the EC has allocated over ~@1.2 billion worth of
assistance, with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia receiving